Family Wars
by Jayne Leigh
Summary: There is a new employee at Alpert Autoplex who has an interest in Marshall Mann and uses Raphael's jealous to get closer to him. Who is she, what does she want and just how much danger is Marshall really in.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm not going to even try and come up with an excuse why I'm starting a new story when I got some many already on the go…I hope you don't mind! This is set during s2. **

**Enjoy!**

**Family Wars **

"And this is Raphael, who works in sales." Peter said, causing Raph to turn around and see his boss with a young woman.

"Hi." He smiled and held out his hand.

"Raph, this is Christina…She's joining the administration office." Peter told him.

"Nice to meet you." Christina replied shaking his hand just as Peter's cell phone rang.

"Ah, I need to take this…" Peter said after seeing the caller's ID. "Raph, can you finish the tour, we haven't done the break room, yet?"

"Of course…Follow me." Raph gestured with his arms to lead towards the break room.

"So, have you been working here long?" Christina asked as he held the door open for her.

"No about three months." He answered.

"I'm always nervous about meeting new people." She admitted. "And I just moved to the area so I don't have many friends yet."

"Oh…Well you do now." He grinned at her.

She laughed a little. "That was easy."

"I'm sure you'll make more friends in no time." Raph replied. "But everyone here is nice and Peter is a great boss."

"Do you know Peter well?"

"He is actually dating my fiancée's sister." Raph told her.

"You're engaged? That must be exciting. Are you getting married soon?"

"Mary…She gets busy so we've had trouble pinning down a date."

"I'm sorry, I'm being too nosy."

"No, it's fine…" Raph assured her. "If it was up to me, we'd get married next week but Mary's job can keep her occupied…"

"Is she in sales too?"

Raph couldn't help but laugh at the idea. "No, she's a US Marshal."

"Oh wow….That's pretty cool."

"I guess…" He sighed. "I just worry about her."

"I dated a police officer." She sympathized. "I always hated waiting for him to come…Especially after he did a night shift."

"Did he move here with you?"

"No, we broke up…. He cheated on me with his partner."

Raph looked up at her quickly. "His partner?"

"Yep, I should have known…They were so close."

"Well, I guess it's the kind of job where they have to be close, right?"

"I guess…" She shrugged but noticed the concerned look on his face, confirming her first thoughts about him being insecure about his relationship. "But I'm sure, you don't have to worry…I mean, Rob and Lucy used to spend all their time outside of work as well…"

"Oh I know…Mary would never do that…We're getting married." Raph insisted but she could see the doubt in his eyes.

"Right." Christina smiled. "Well, I should probably get back to my desk."

"I'll see you around…"

Christina gave him a little wave before heading in the direction she had come from but instead of going to her desk, she went out of the door to the parking lot. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contact list until she found the number she wanted.

"Hi, it's me…I need you to run a check on a Raphael Ramirez….He's dating Mary Shannon…I don't care about her but I can use her and her boyfriend to get to Mann! Just call me when you have some information."

**XxXxX**

Christina grinned when she read the text message she just received and saw the cell phone number she had been trying to get a hold of. She had been in Albuquerque for two weeks and so far things have been going well. When she first arrived, she had known about Peter Alpert's connection to Marshall Mann via Mary Shannon but she had counted her lucky stars when she discovered Raphael actually had a few issues about Marshall because of his closeness to Mary. During those two weeks, she carefully listened and asked the right questions to get him to open up about Marshall.

Now with this phone number, she could finally put her plan into action. She didn't waste time in calling it and grinned when she heard a familiar voice.

"Hi…It's me…" She said. "No, don't hang up…Please, just listen to me…It doesn't matter where I got the number…I have connections, you know that….Just listen…You can't shut me out…I won't let you ….If you try I'll make both your lives hell…Oh come on, you know me…I don't make threats….Just promises….I know you…I know this is what you want…I'm what you want… Just admit it."

As expected the line went dead but she still had her smile on her face as she pocketed her phone. She had a feeling that he would make her do this the hard way.

_**XxXxX**_

"Hey, Raph…Can I sit here?" Christina asked when she saw him in the break room.

It had been six weeks since she started working at Alpert's Autoplex and she and Raph were getting along really well.

"Of course." He moved his stuff over to give her some room.

"Sell many cars today?"

"Just the one…But the day is still young." He replied, checking with cell phone and sighed.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes, its fine…Just waiting to hear from Mary….We had an argument this morning and now she's not answering my messages."

"About her job again?"

"It's complicated…" Raph told her.

"Is her partner still hanging around a lot?"

"Even when they're not together, they always on the phone or texting each other." He sighed. "I just can't get her to understand how it makes me feel."

"I'm sorry." Christina placed a hand on his arm. "But like you always say, they have to be close to be able to do their job."

"I guess."

"Well, at the least it's Friday." She said cheerfully. "You got much planned for the weekend?"

"Oh, I forgot to say…We're having a BBQ for Brandi's birthday tomorrow…You should come."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it'll be great."

"Will Mary be there?"

"If nothing comes up from work."

"I'll look forward to meeting her."

"And her partner." Raph continued. "Maybe the two of you will get on well."

She raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"Well, you're both single…"

"You want me to date your fiancée's partner?" She questioned. "Is this just to keep him away from Mary?"

"He's really a nice guy." Raph claimed. "And maybe if he had his own girlfriend then he wouldn't hang around so much."

"I can't believe you're setting me up on a date."

"Please, I wouldn't ask you to do this but I think you'll really like him."

She sighed. "I guess it won't hurt to meet him."

"Great!" Raph grinned and stood up. "I've got to go but I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye." She grinned widely as he walked away. "This is too easy."

**TBC**

**So, who is Christina? Why is she after Marshall and just how much danger is he in? Please review and let me know what you think! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Not much happened in the first chapter so a quick update for you. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Please keep them coming! **

**Enjoy!**

**Family Wars**

"I hate birthdays." Mary mattered as Marshall handed her a beer.

"You know this isn't your birthday, right?" He replied.

She rolled her eyes. "At least if it were mine, there would gifts for me."

"Gifts that you could re-gift?"

"Could you for once just be on my side?" She glared at him slightly "Just agree with me?"

"Ah, where's the fun in that?"

"God, you're so annoying…"

"Don't you two ever stop?" Stan said as he reached them with Eleanor.

"He started it."

"She started it." They both said in unison.

"Idiot." Mary muttered, hitting him the stomach with the back of her hand.

He retaliated and within seconds a fight broke out, both of them trying to get the upper hand.

"Alright, you two." Stan pulled Mary back and stepped between them. "Stop before one of you gets hurt."

"Oh please, she hits like a girl." Marshall rolled his eyes.

Mary managed to reach past Stan to land a finale punch on Marshall's upper arm.

"Enough…Don't make me cuff you." Stan warned her.

"You're going to bring out the handcuffs?" Marshall looked at him.

"Getting a bit kinky, aren't you?" Mary added. "That's a little gross."

"Yeah, not cool, Stan." Marshall shook his head, disapprovingly.

"I didn't mean…I'm not…" Stan stuttered and then sighed when he saw them both grinning at him. "I don't know why bother."

"You should be used to their childish behavior by now." Eleanor patted his arm.

"You really should, Stan." Mary added and raised her beer bottle. "Especially when alcohol is involved."

"Amateur move, Chief." Marshall joined in.

"You're all going to drive me into early retirement." He complained but then suddenly remembered something. "Actually, speaking of retirement, Marshall…I heard a crazy rumor the other day…"

"Ha, I knew it…You're actually an old man who's reached retirement age and somehow disguised yourself in a younger man's body!" Mary pointed a finger at Marshall.

"I ran into a friend of your father's…" Stan ignored her and Marshall, who flicked his bottle top in her direction. "Said he's considering an early retirement….Everything okay with him?"

Marshall sighed. "Yeah, he's thinking about it…But I doubt he will."

"I'm telling you, I never thought I'd see the day Seth Mann would take retirement willing."

"About once a year my Mom gets tired of him working all the time and makes a big deal about it…Tells him she wants them to move closer to me and brothers..." He explained. "But then he takes some vacation time so they can discuss it properly and by the end of the two weeks, she's quite happy to send him back to work and out of her way but this time she does seem to feel pretty strongly about it."

"Well, pass on my best wishes, whatever he decides." Stan told him.

"Will do."

"You didn't tell me your Dad was retiring." Mary looked at him.

"Didn't think it was something I had to run by you."

"Please, don't start fighting again." Stan sighed.

"Are they arguing like an old married couple again?"

They all turned at the sound of Bobby D's voice.

"Hey, you got my invite." Mary greeted.

"I did." He nodded his head in acknowledgement to the other three. "I was told there would be free beer and food."

"I was just about to get a drink…I'll grab you one." Stan offered.

"Me too!" Mary said.

"And me," Marshall handed him an empty bottle.

"I'll give you a hand." Eleanor offered after hearing his sigh.

"Mary." Raph approached them with Christina in tow. "This is Christina…I told you about her…She's been working with me."

She remembered him talking about a new girl at work but was surprised that he actually invited her to their house.

"Nice to meet you." Christina held out a hand.

"You too…Didn't realize you would be joining us."

"Well, you invited your friends…" Raph started. "I thought it would be okay to invite mine."

Mary narrowed her eyes a little at him. "Of course it's okay."

"Come on, Christina, let me get you a drink."

"Wow." Bobby commented as they watched them walk away. "She's hot."

"I guess she's cute if you like that sort of thing…" Mary snorted.

"What? Tall with curves in the right places, red hair and a smile that can light the room?"

"Marshall, back me up here…"

"Well…I guess, she's not…un-attractive." He tried his best to be mutual but it earned him another punch. "Hey! What about him!"

"Good point." Mary replied before hitting Bobby.

"OW!" He rubbed his shoulder. "Thanks, man."

"Oh, here comes Raph…" Marshall turned back to the face the other two, trying to act like they hadn't been watching them. "He doesn't look too happy."

"Just what I need." Mary muttered.

"Mary, why is it okay for you to invite people but not me…" Raph said as soon as he reached them.

She sighed. "I didn't mean you couldn't…I just didn't realize you did."

"Well, I like Christina…She's nice." Raph replied. "Don't you think, Marshall?"

He looked up quickly. "You're asking me?"

"Yeah…She's a nice girl." Raph shrugged. "I think you two would hit it off…"

"Uh, thank you…" Marshall looked to Mary before back at him. "But I'm not really looking at starting something…."

"Just have one drink with her…Let me go get her." He rushed off before Marshall could say anymore.

"Did you know about this?" Marshall asked Mary.

"Yeah because spend all my spare time trying to fix you up on dates." She rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you're going through this…"

"Me? Did you not hear me say no?"

"You're a fool…Being set up with a girl like that and saying no…" Bobby shook his head at him.

"I swear god, Marshall…If I hear the word double date…" She pointed a finger at him warningly.

20 minutes later, Marshall was on the other side of the garden, listening to Christina as she told her about working at Alpert's autoplex. To begin with, he went along with it all just to annoy Mary but now he would give anything to get away. There was something about Christina that didn't seem right but he couldn't work out what.

"Aw, look at you two…" Brandi cooed as her and Peter joined them. "You're so cute together."

Marshall's eyes widened a little and smiled uncomfortable as Christina clung onto his arm.

"Could you maybe take a picture of us?" Christina handed Brandi her cell phone and then glanced at Marshall. "You don't mind do you?"

"Oh…No…I guess not." He said but before he could finish the sentence, she had her arms around him, posing for the camera.

Brandi snapped a couple of pictures before handing her back the phone. "Maybe we could all go out one night? Wouldn't that be fun? Us four, Mary and Raph."

"Uh, yeah maybe…" Marshall replied, wondering what kind of reaction the idea of a triple date would provoke from Mary.

"Oh, your drink is empty…" Christina took his empty beer bottle off him. "I'll get you another…"

She was gone before Marshall could say anymore and when Brandi and Peter wondered off, he realized it was the perfect chance to escape. He caught sight of Bobby on the other side of the garden, looking bored. Maybe they could leave and go find a bar somewhere; they could probably convince Mary to go with them.

Christina kept an eye on Marshall as she entered the kitchen. She grinned when she saw the photo Brandi had taken. It was perfect and just what she had needed. She quickly sent the picture, proving that she was in fact with Albuquerque like she had told him when she spoke to him that morning. He hadn't believed her, saying that she was just trying to get his attention but it wouldn't work. He had told her again that they were over… that they were nothing more than a few meaningless nights together but she knew better… She wasn't giving up without a fight and even if it was over, she was going to make him pay. She watched Marshall walking across the garden but was relieved to see Raph stopping him before he could rejoin his friends. She quickly grabbed a bottle of beer, flicking the cap off and looked around before pulling out a small clear plastic package out of her pocket. She tipped the white powder into the beer, swirling the bottle so it mixed together before taking a second bottle of beer for herself and headed outside again.

**TBC**

**Thought? Comments? Concerns? Please review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**The drama is really going to kick off in this chapter! Thanks to JJ2008 for the review!**

**Enjoy! **

**Family Wars**

"Hey, Marshall, you having a good time?" Raph asked, stopping him before he could reach Bobby D.

"Yeah, it's good." He forced a smile. "Nice day too…"

"Yep." Raph nodded. "So, where's Christina?"

"Oh she went to get some drinks."

"She's a nice girl, isn't she?" Raph asked. "I knew you two would hit it off…"

Marshall smiled again but didn't say anything. He found it strange that Raphael was so intent with setting him up. They barely knew each other and Marshall found it unlikely that other man would know anything about the type of women that interested him.

"There you are." Christina handed him his beer. "I was worried you had left."

"Nope, still here." He resisted the urge to sigh.

"I'm so glad." She linked her arm through his and guided him away from Raph, who just smiled and went to find Mary.

The more she talked, the harder Marshall found to concentrate on what she was saying. His eyes suddenly felt heavy and everything started to spin slowly. He briefly tried to work out how many beers he actually had but stopped after numbers flashing through his mind made him want to throw up. He frowned when he heard a cell ringing and was sure he recognized the ringtone as his own but when he felt his pocket, it was empty. The movement caused his balance to shift and he was luckily able to reach down to grab onto the table to stop him from crashing to the floor.

"Hey, Mare…" Brandi said when she entered the kitchen and saw her sister talking with Eleanor, while Stan was stood a few feet away talking on his cell phone. "Did you guys stop off at a bar before coming here?"

Mary looked at her sister as if she had lost her mind. "We've been working all day..."

"Oh, just Marshall doesn't look too good." She nodded in the direction of her partner. "He looks like he's had a few too many drinks but I've only seen him drink about three here."

Mary frowned, watching as Christina held up Marshall as he stumbled, moving him towards a chair. "Stan….Something is not right."

"Yeah, we need to get out there." Stan was already moving towards the door quickly. "She's a rogue marshal."

"A what?!" Mary exclaimed but was quickly following him and her eyes widened when she saw Christina pushing a drowsy Marshall down into a chair. "Marshall?"

"Stay there!"

Stan came to an abrupt halt when he saw the knife and held out an arm to stop Mary going any closer.

"Deputy Vincent…" Stan started gently. "That's right isn't it? Deputy Christina Vincent? You worked on the Fugitive Task Force in Phoenix, right?"

She smirked. "You think I'm impressed that you know me? You don't think I worked out that after he couldn't get hold of Marshall, he would call you?"

"Look, why don't we just talk about this?" Stan suggested. "You don't need the knife…Your problem isn't with Marshall…"

"Isn't it?"

"What did you give him?" Mary asked, seeing Marshall's head lolling as he struggled to stay awake. "Marshall?"

"Mare…" He mumbled, forcing his head up. "Mare, I don't feel too good…"

"Christina, what are you doing?" Raph frowned, from behind Mary.

"Just dealing with a small problem." She flashed him a smile. "Don't worry…This will help you out."

Mary spun around to look at Raph. "What does that mean?"

"I don't…I have no idea."

"Look, you freak…" Mary went to step around Stan but stopped when Christina pulled out a gun.

"Stay back!" She ordered.

"Okay, okay…" Stan pulled Mary back, glancing behind him. "Eleanor, get everyone back into the house…"

Despite his head spinning and the fact his whole body felt like lead, Marshall attempted to stand. His stomach was twisting and turning; he couldn't just sit there and throw up. He had to get up…He had to do something….

Christina gripped his shoulder painfully, forcing to stay seated. She kept the gun trained on Stan, Mary and Bobby who had joined them and placed the knife down on the small table before pulling out a pair of cuffs.

"Is that necessary?" Mary glared at her. "He can barely keep his eyes open, let alone do anything else!"

Christina ignored her and continued to cuff his hands behind his back before taking the knife again, putting her arm around Marshall, so the blade was against his throat.

"Is he on his way?"

"Who?" Mary glanced at her boss quickly before back to her.

"Yes, he'll be here soon…He wants to talk to you but he won't if you're holding a knife to his son's throat."

She smirked. "I think he will."

"Marshall's Dad is coming here?" Mary asked Stan quietly.

"This is who this is all about." He whispered back before turning his full attention to Christina again. "I don't know what's started it about but I know Seth Mann and I know no matter what is going on, he is not going to react well to you threatening his family."

"I know him pretty well too."

"Stan, what the hell is going on?" Mary hissed.

"I don't know but Seth arrived in New Mexico this morning then he got sent a photo of her with Marshall." Stan replied. "He tried getting hold of Marshall to warn him but he didn't answer his phone…then on the third try, she answered so he called me."

"She's using Marshall to get back at Seth for something?"

"Yeah, looks like it."

Mary turned and saw that most of the guests were inside the house but Brandi, Raph, Jinx, Eleanor and Peter lingered just outside the door.

"I'm betting she slipped something into his drink too." Bobby added unnecessarily. "We got to get to him soon or he'll be unconscious."

"Yeah, I think we all know that." Mary muttered.

"Okay, let's just all keep calm." Stan advised. "Her issue is with Seth…She's not going to do anything until he gets here."

Mary took a couple steps backwards so she was closer to her family. "Raph, what the hell did you tell her?"

"Nothing." He insisted. "How was I supposed to know she would do something like this?!"

"Well, she said she was doing you a favor…You must have said something!"

"I just wanted to help her make friends." He claimed.

There were movement from inside the house and suddenly a team of Marshals appeared, pushing past them with gun drawn. Mary had never met him before but she knew instantly the one out front was Marshall's Dad and was sure he was going barrel past Stan and Dorshowitz and right over to Marshall and Christina. She was surprised when he stopped beside the other two men, his gun dropping down to his side and his eye wide.

"Christina…." He shook his head a little. "What are you doing?"

"You didn't believe me."

"What?"

"When I said I was here." She told him. "You thought I was just saying it to get your attention."

"Well, you definitely have my attention now…" Seth told her. "You wanted to talk to me…So talk to me."

"Dad?" Marshall mumbled, confused.

"Yeah, Marshall…I'm here." Seth said. "It's going to be okay."

"Where Mom?"

"Shut up!" Christina growled, pressing the knife harder into his neck causing him to squirm and trying to get away.

"Marshall, stop it." Mary called out to him, worried his fighting would end up getting him hurt. "Just stay still…"

Thankful he seemed to hear her and settled back down.

"We think she put something into his drink." Stan told Seth, quietly when he looked back at him questionable at Marshall's action.

"Jesus, Christina…What are you doing?" Seth stared at her. "You're a US Marshal…This isn't you…"

"I'm not anymore." She glared at him. "Because of you."

"Please, Chrissie…Marshall has nothing to do with this…This is between you and me." Seth stepped forward. "Let him go…just let Marshall go and you and I can talk properly."

She rolled her eyes. "As soon as I let him go…You'll be gone too…back to your family."

"Please, Chrissie…"

"Did you tell her where you were coming?" She asked. "Does she know her precious youngest son is in danger because of you?"

"You're upset, I know that…I know I hurt you but I never meant to…" Seth moved even closer. "Just let Marshall go… you can do whatever you want to me…but let him go."

"You don't think her and him…?" Mary whispered to Stan.

"He's been married over 45 years, there is no way." The chief shook his head.

"You're just like every other guy out there… Gets what he wants no matter what." She spat. "Why should I think he's any different?"

Seth's eyes moved back to his son when she nodded down to him. Marshall was blinking quickly, trying to fight whatever drug was in his system.

"He's a good boy….Loyal...caring…ask anyone." Seth reasoned.

"Not according to his partner's fiancée…"

Mary glared in Raph's direction again but then turned back when Seth started speaking again.

"This is my son, Chrissie…I'm begging you…let him go." He pleaded. "If you ever cared for me then you wouldn't be doing this…"

She let out a small laugh. "You're forgetting that I was the one who you talked to about him…The one you told that you couldn't connect with him…that you were closer to your older boys…that you had no idea who he is and you'll ever be able to understand him."

Mary was actually beginning to feel relieved that Marshall was drugged; no one should ever hear that said about them from their father. Deciding after Christina, Seth was next on her hit list….closely followed by Raph.

"How do you think that makes me feel? That I don't have a good relationship with one of my children? Do you really think I would thank you for this? That this is what I want?" Seth was starting to lose his cool. "He has done nothing wrong…I'm the one that screwed up at being his Dad!"

Stan noticed Marshall moving again in discomfort and realized that every step Seth took closer to them, Christina was pressing the knife harder into Marshall's skin. At the sight of blood, Stan moved forward himself just enough to grab the back of Seth's shirt and pull him backwards.

"You're getting too close!" Stan explained.

Seth just stared at the blood as it slowly trickled down his son's neck, staining his white collar. He then lifted his eyes back to Christina.

"If you think for second I would choose you over him then you're deluded." He said in a low, dangerous voice. "If you think I wouldn't kill for him or die for him…"

"You don't even care, do you?" Christina shook her head. "I mean nothing to you… What we had meant nothing to you…"

"It was three weeks!" Seth snapped.

"You're not helping!" Mary hissed at him, seeing Christina waving the gun in their direction.

Seth ignored her, knowing that in her anger towards him, Christina had loosened her hold around Marshall's neck and the blade was now off his skin.

Marshall struggled again, trying to get free. He had no idea where he was or what was holding him down but he knew he had to get free. There was the constant feeling of being choked that was finally lifted. He heard Mary's voice as well as his Dad and he couldn't work out why they were both there. They had never met. His stomach knotted together and he felt his heart beat starting to increase. He begun to panic, he needed to get up. He needed help…He needed to find Mary.

Mary was about to step in front of Seth to confront Christina herself but instead they all watched in shock as Marshall suddenly shot to his feet, with so much force that his shoulder connected hard with Christina's hand which held the gun.

There were screams and shouts as a shot fired before the gun flew out of Christina's grip and fell to the floor; Stan automatically went to the ground, pulling Seth with him. Mary followed them, looking up in time to see Marshall stumbling a little before falling backwards into Christina.

Christina's reaction was too slow and they both ended up on the floor, with him on top of her. Mary was the first to get to her feet but was beaten to them by the team of Marshals that had arrived with Seth. Thankfully, they pulled a screaming, protesting Christina away, leaving Marshall to Mary.

"Marshall?" She ran a hand down his cheek but his eyes stayed closed. "Come on, Marshall…"

She moved her hand down to his neck, swallowing the bile that had risen in her own throat at the sight of his blood but then her eyes travelled lower and she really did think she was going to throw up. The white cotton of his shirt had a growing blood stain on his right side.

"Stan!" She yelled. "Stan! He's been stabbed!"

"Get the medics here now!" The chief ordered, rushing to her side. He knew protocol and that someone would have called for an ambulance to be on scene just in case.

"Oh god…." Seth muttered, stood starting down at his son. "No, please…"

"Help him, Stan…" Mary pressed down on the wound. "Wake him up."

Stan was lost for words in shock of what actually had just happened and in her belief that he could do something to make it better. Thankfully, he had the presence of mind to think to reach behind Marshall and undo the cuffs, freeing his arms.

"Marshall, please…." She whispered. "Please, just open your eyes…You can't do this to me…not like this…"

"Over here, guys!" Bobby shouted, looking over his shoulder at the EMTs who were following him as he ran across the garden.

"Mary…" Stan fought to get her out the way to allow the medics to do their job.

"He's going to be okay, isn't he?" Seth asked.

One of them looked up at him. "We'll know more at the hospital..."

"Heart rate very slow." The other medic said.

"We think his drink was drugged." Bobby supplied.

"Okay, we need to get moving." The first medic stated.

"I'm going with him." Mary said watching as they loaded him onto a stretcher.

"Wait a minute…" Seth started.

"I think we need to talk about something first…" Stan cut him off, allowing Mary to follow Marshall.

"Stan, my son is being taken to hospital!" Seth glared at him. "Now is not the time!"

"It is the time!" Stan grabbed his arm. "Your actions put him in danger and I need to know if there is more to come."

"They've got her locked up… It's over with." Seth pulled his arm free and stalked off.

Stan sighed, knowing that now the truth was out; it was probably only the beginning for Marshall and his family.

**TBC**

**So, what do you think? Did you see it coming? Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Glad I surprised you in the last chapter. This post looks more into Seth's side of the story. I hope you like it….I do like writing Seth for some reason. **

**The chapters after this might come a little slower. The first four chapters were already written before I started posting so that's why there's been an update every day! Thanks again for reading! Please keep reviewing! **

**Enjoy! **

**Family Wars**

Stan arrived at the hospital 15 minutes after Mary and Seth after dealing with the situation at the house. He was pointed to a private waiting room and even before he opened the door, he could hear raised voice coming from inside. He sighed and took a minute to prepare himself before pushing open the door to find Mary and Seth glaring at each other; both of them shouting so loud that he couldn't make out what they were actually saying to each other.

"Enough!" Stan yelled, startling them both.

"Stan…" Mary started but he held up a hand to stop her.

"Just stop." He told her. "Both of you."

Seth turned and walked across the room, throwing himself into a chair and covered his face with hands.

"I just saw a nurse…" Stan continued this time quieter. "She said a doctor will be here in a few minutes to talk to us."

"Did she say how Marshall is?" Mary asked. "Is he going to be okay?"

"She didn't know."

"I swear to god if he's not okay…" Mary started to pace the room.

"He will be." Stan stated.

It was another 20 minutes of silence with Mary and Seth glaring at each other every now and then before the doctor walked into the room.

"You're the family of Marshall Mann?"

"Yes, I'm his father…" Seth jumped up from his seat to cross the room to him. "How is he?"

"Well, fortunately to knife wound did minimal damage…The blade came in contact with one of Marshall's ribs and chipped it but didn't penetrate the lung or cause any major damage….We were able to stop the bleeding with 28 stitches and we're replacing some of the blood he lost." He explained. "We also put in 6 stitches for the laceration on his neck."

"So, you think he'll be okay?" Mary asked. "Is he awake?"

The doctor sighed. "This is where things get complicated…"

"How?"

"You told the EMT that you thought it was possible that his drink was spiked?" He questioned, only continuing when they nodded. "We discovered a pretty high dosage of the drug Gamma Hydoxybutyrate…or GHB…"

"Isn't that a date rape drug?" Mary questioned.

"Yes, it is known to be uses in those kinds of cases." The doctor nodded. "Some of the side effects consist of drowsy-ness, vomiting, and respiratory distress…"

"Well, can you give him something to stop it?" She asked.

He gestured for them all to take a seat and sat beside Mary; turning so then could see the other two men as well.

"Marshall is on oxygen at the moment…"

"He needs help breathing?" Seth cut in.

"Sometimes when a person is unconscious, the muscles in the jaw can relax and that allows the tongue to obstruct the airway…We've inserted a tube to support breathing as well as keeping the airway clear." He explained the best he could. "It's likely to be removed as soon as he regains consciousness."

"So, he hasn't woken up yet?"

"No but that's pretty common with GHB…The effect could last 3 or more hours and since there is such a signification amount in his system it seems likely there will be quite a wait." He answered. "We've also got him on an IV drip to help get his fluid levels up."

"We just wait then?" Seth asked.

"We're monitoring him very closely, Sir in case of any complications but other than that, yes we just wait for him to wake up."

"What about after that?" Stan asked. "Will there be any lasting effects?"

"At this point it's difficult to tell and every patient is different but most suffer from vomiting, memory loss, and disorientation and there is a chance of seizures." He informed them. "But we'll deal with all that if and when we come to it…"

Mary let out a long sigh and rubbed her temples, trying to rid the headache that was starting.

"It may not seem like it now but considering the circumstances he's pretty lucky." The doctor tried to console them. "And while the next couple of days might be unpleasant, there is no reason to believe he won't make a full recovery."

"So, he's going to be okay?" Mary checked.

"Like I said earlier, as long as there are no complications then yes, he should be just fine." He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Any idea when he'll be able to leave?"

"If the knife wound heals nicely then I would say three to five days."

"Thank you, doctor." Stan shook his hand.

"Someone will come by and let you know when you can see him." He gave them another small smile before heading out the room.

"Well, at least that's some good news." Stan turned to look at the other two. "Give him a few days and he'll be back on his feet."

"He shouldn't be here in the first place." Mary claimed and glared at Seth. "He shouldn't have been dragged into this!"

"You think I wanted this to happen?" Seth shot to his feet. "I tried to warn him…I tried to stop this!"

"You caused it!" Mary exclaimed. "Just because you couldn't keep it in your pants!"

Stan sighed loudly and rubbed his temples. There was no way this conversation was going to end well but he also knew that neither of them would be leaving any time soon or would back down.

"Look, you don't know anything about it and you should stay out of my family's business…"

"I got dragged into this!" Mary accused.

"This isn't helping anyone." Stan said diplomatically. "Do you really think Marshall is going to want to hear all this when he wakes up?"

"I'm going to get coffee." Mary pushed past her boss and out of the room.

Stan watched her go before looking back at Seth who was sat down again, head in his hands.

"Does your wife know?" Stan asked after a few seconds of silence.

"About Christina?"

"Actually, I was talking about Marshall getting hurt…"

"She's on her way here now."

"And about Christina?"

Seth just stared back at him, unwilling to discuss his private life.

"Look, I would much rather not get involved in your personal life at all but my inspector was hurt because of your affair…" Stan continued. "What you tell your wife is your own business but if you want my advice, if she doesn't know already, tell her before someone else does….You're not going to be able to keep this secret for much longer."

Seth hung his head, almost defeated. "She knows…She known for a long time."

Over the years, Stan's path had crossed with Seth's but he didn't know whether they could be classed as friends but he couldn't help but feel a little pity for the other man. He sighed and sat down next to him.

"Does Marshall know?"

"No." He shook his head. "We decided it was best if none of the boys knew...We didn't see any sense in hurting them to."

"You know, he'll probably find out now, right?" Stan looked at him. "He's going to want to know why this happened and I won't lie to him about Christina's motives."

"He's going to hate me."

"Maybe for a little while but the Marshall I know if a pretty forgiving guy."

"Not for something like this…" Seth whispered. "We've always struggled… I mean, we're so different and he has always been closer to his mother and I've hurt her…"

"Yeah but you're his father." Stan consoled. "He followed in your footsteps…"

"He's followed in my family's footsteps." Seth corrected.

"Look, what's done is done…All you can do is talk to him when he's well enough and you hope that he understands."

"That's a problem then because I don't think I even understand what happened." Seth pushed himself to his feet. "It was the most stupid thing I've ever done…"

"We all make mistakes…"

"My wife, Jenna…She's the love of my life and always has been since I was 19…We met in the college library…She told me off for talking with my friends too loudly…" He smiled at the memory but then frowned. "We have a good marriage…never had very many problems and after 47 years of being together…45 of them being married, I cannot believe I risked it all."

"Why did you?" Stan couldn't help but ask.

"It's complicated."

"Well, Marshall and probably your other boys will ask the same question…If you have any hope of moving past this, you need a better explanation then that."

"I just… I guess I just realized I wasn't this young guy kicking down doors and chasing fugitives anymore." He sat down again.

"Come on, you're still considered one of the best of the fugitive task force."

"Yeah, that's because of all my experience."

"You think that's a bad thing?"

"No, it's not that." Seth shook his head a little. "People started to ask me when I was going to retire and I thought they were crazy, there was no way I was ready for that….then I looked around and suddenly realized how much had changed…my wife was retired, happily enjoying not working… my three boys were all grown up leading their own lives, all having successful careers….none of them needing me like they used to…"

"That's life for you."

"Yeah….I just….I don't know when it moved on without me." He continued. "Then there was Christina…There was a team of us tracking these two brothers down…We got word that they split up, so three members of the team went after the one guy…Christina and I went after the other…I should have called for more back up but I guess I wanted to prove I still had it…that I could still do the job."

Stan stay silent, knowing that there was no need for him to say anything. Seth knew the mistakes he made and didn't need someone else pointing them out.

"The first night we talked…She told me about how her father was in Marshal service and the stories she heard growing up…We spent all night talking." He sighed. "I don't know how I let it happen…I don't know how it went from talking in a bar over a few drinks to being in my hotel room…"

He trailed off and Stan didn't need him to finish the sentence to know what he was going to say.

"She was this young attractive woman, who was interested in me…I stupidly fell for it." He hung his head.

"How long did it go on for?"

"We caught the guy after four days of being on the road…as soon as I got back home, realized what I had actually done…Told her it meant nothing and she seemed okay with that but my actions made me question my life…None of the boys were around and Jenna was busy with her new hobbies she had taken up since her retirement." He continued. "I found myself spending time with Christina then after a couple of weeks, Jenna figured it out…She left me and went to stay with her sister for two weeks."

"But she came back?"

"Yeah, I begged and pleaded with her to give me a second chance…Things haven't been the same but I know I got a lot of making up to do."

"What happened with Christina after you ended it?"

"She wouldn't let it go…I guess, she thought there was more to it than it was." He sighed. "I should have never let it get that far... She started to make mistakes on the job because of it all and she is suspended pending an investigation."

"So, she decided to get even by going after Marshall?"

"I don't know what she was thinking this would achieve." Seth admitted. "I don't know whether she just wanted my attention or something else?"

"Like she thought she was doing you a favor?"

Seth glared at him. "There is nothing in this world that means more to me then my kids."

"I know that." Stan stated. "But she seemed to think that you and Marshall had problems."

"They're my problems…It's always bothered me that I don't get on as well with him as I do his brothers but I would never want anything like this to happen." He insisted and then sighed. "I talked to her about Marshall…Told her how he got shot last year…How he never let us know until after he was out of hospital."

"He didn't want to worry you." Stan explained quickly.

"He's our son…He shouldn't have to worry about us worrying." Seth claimed. "But that's always been the way…Jenna was upset when he did eventually tell us…She said it was my fault, that he was so worried about disappointing me…about not living up to my expectations…"

"After everything that has happened today, now is the perfect opportunity to deal with it." Stan told him. "If it is true, then you know Marshall won't come to you about it…You'll have to make the first move…You'll have a lot of making up to do once he finds out about Christina, you might as well do it properly or you really will lose him."

Seth sighed. "I think it might just be too late for that…"

"It will be if you don't even try." Stan said as he stood up. "I need to get back to the office…"

"Let me know if there anything I can do to help." Seth also got to his feet. "I can't stand just sit around here waiting."

Stan wanted to tell him that this was best place for him to be; that if he had any hope in making things right with his family was to stay here and work it out but he knew it wasn't his place. "I'll keep you updated."

"Thanks, Stan…For everything."

"Just do me a favor… play nice with Mary?" Stan asked. "Marshall and her care a lot about each other…Until she gets to see he's alright for herself, she'll be going crazy."

Seth almost reminded him that Marshall was his son and Mary was only his partner but decided against it considering why this had happened. "I'll try my best."

**TBC**

**Please review and let me know what you think! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Another quick update! Thanks for the reviews! This chapter is dedicated to Jekkah, Happy Birthday!**

**Enjoy!**

**Family Wars**

It had been a long night and Mary had no sleep sitting next to Marshall, watching and wishing he would wake up but he didn't. The doctor assured her that it was nothing to worry about and that his vitals were good, he just needed to time to rest.

She was thankful that after spending an hour by Marshall's side when they were first allowed to visit, Seth got restless and rejoined his team to help with the case. She didn't care about his marriage, it was none of her business and she knew better than anyone that there were no perfect relationships but Seth's affair had put Marshall's life in danger and she knew the news will also hurt him emotional so for that, Mary couldn't help but hate him.

Now she was stood outside her house, trying to get the strength to go in and face Raphael; while a part of her wanted to pin him down and demanded to know to what he had said to Christina, she just didn't have the energy. If she had to guess, she was pretty sure her husband-to-be was jealous of the relationship she had with Marshall. She knew Raph had issues with Marshall and her job but she didn't think it was this bad.

Sighing tiredly, she slid her key into the lock and let herself in.

"Mary?" Brandi called out and then appeared in the hallway. "Oh god, Mary, I've been trying to call you…"

"I turned my phone off when I was at the hospital." Mary replied, hanging up her jacket.

"How's Marshall?"

"Still unconscious and had to have over 30 stitches but the doctors think he should be okay, as long as there are no complication." Mary ran her hands over her tired eyes. "I've just come to grab some things and head back to the hospital."

"Are you okay?" Brandi followed her down the hall. "I mean, I know you weren't hurt or anything…"

Mary sighed. "I just need Marshall to wake up and to get a few hours of sleep and I'll be fine."

"Mary? You're home." Raphael walked out of their bedroom. "Why didn't you return my calls?"

"I was a little busy." Mary changed direction and went into the kitchen.

"I was worried about you." Raph followed her.

"Just leave me alone." Mary leaned her hand down on the table, ignoring both Peter and Jinx who were sat there.

"Mary, please…"

"Please, what?" She spun around to face him.

"I just want to explain…"

"To be quite honest, Raph, I don't want to hear it." She pushed past him. "I just came home to change some clothes on my way to Marshall's house to pick up some things for him."

"Mary, maybe you should hear him out before you go…" Jinx suggested as there was a loud knock on the front door.

"Maybe you should keep out of it." Mary shot back.

"You're being crazy…" Raph stated. "This is a big misunderstanding…"

"A misunderstanding that landed my best friend, fighting for his life in hospital!" Mary snapped and there was another bang on the door.

"I thought you said he was going to be okay?" Brandi frowned.

"That's not the point!" She exclaimed and let out a frustrated groan when there was more knocking. "Would some get the goddamn door?!"

Peter slipped past the group to the front door and blinked at surprise at the crowd on the doorstep.

"We have a search warrant."

Mary spun around seeing a team of marshal's entering the house, with Seth Mann leading the way. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Raphael Ramirez…You're under arrest…"

"What?" Brandi spun around to look at her helplessly. "Mary?"

Mary stared at the scene in front of her for a few seconds in shock before snapping into action, spotting Stan coming through the door.

"Chief, what the hell is going on?" She exclaimed.

Stan put his hand on her arm, trying to calm her down a little. "We spoke to Christina… We need to talk to Raphael and get his side of the story…"

"You can't do this!" Raph struggled when a marshal took hold of his arms.

"Shut up, you're in enough trouble as it is!" Seth got right in his face.

"You're just doing this because you feel guilty about getting your own son hurt!" Jinx protested.

"Mary…" Stan tried to pull her to the side.

"Stan, you know how much Marshall means to me and I'm pretty pissed about what happened but they're right." Mary started. "Seth is just doing to deflect the blame off himself."

"It's not his raid." Stan told her.

"What?"

"It's me doing this…" He claimed and this time she let him pull her away from the others. "You know how these things work…We have to treat this as a breech…"

"But arresting Raphael…"

"Like I said, we spoke with Christina and now we need to determine how involved Raphael is."

"What did she say?" Mary asked. "What did he do?"

Stan sighed. "Did you know he was jealous of your relationship with Marshall?"

"I knew he had some issues but nothing that would lead to this."

"Mary, I'm sorry I have to ask this but has anything happened between you and Marshall?"

"What? Stan!"

"I'm sorry…." He held up his hands in defense. "But I need to know…"

"No, nothing has happened between Marshall and me…He's my best friend, I would never risk our friendship."

"Okay," he accepted the answer easily. "Christina claims that Raphael asked her to come to the party because he wanted to get Marshall away from you…"

"What does that mean?" Mary questioned. "Raph's not a criminal and he's not stupid enough to try and kill a US Marshal."

"That's why we need to hear Raphael's side." Stan told her calmly. "We're pretty sure that Christina thought by getting rid of Marshall would do enough damage to Seth and Jenna's marriage that they would get divorce and she could have him herself."

"And where does Raph fit into this? What does he get?"

Stan paused for a second, wondering how she was going to take the news. "Raphael is jealous of the amount of time you spend with Marshall…If he wasn't around, he wouldn't be in the way of your relationship."

Mary cursed and glared in Raphael's direction before turning back to her boss. "What does this mean?"

"We'll take him in…see what he has to say."

"No, I don't care about him." Mary cut in. "You said you're treating this as a breech…What does that mean for Marshall?"

Stan sighed; he had been hoping she wouldn't bring that up until they had everything else figured out. "I've been on the phone all morning…If Marshall's cover has been compromised, than they may transfer him."

"What?" She exclaimed so loudly that everyone looked towards them.

"Simmer down." Stan advised and pulled her further away from the others.

"Stan, this is not his fault!" Mary insisted. "Why should he suffer?"

"They will most likely promote him out of Albuquerque." Stan told her. "It's probably a little overdue anyway."

"Stan, you can't let them…"

"There is nothing I can do." He claimed. "If Christina followed him around…"

"But she doesn't care about the witness!" She hissed, quietly. "I bet she didn't even realize who they were."

"Come on, Mary you know we can't take that risk."

"Damn it!" She slammed her hand into the wall.

"Mary?" Brandi walked towards her, looking concerned.

She raked her fingers through her hair. "This is a goddamn mess!"

Stan patted her shoulder simply because he didn't know what else to say or do. He was saved by his phone buzzing; he held it up to indicating he was taking the call before stepping away.

"Mary, what is going on?" Brandi asked tearfully. "I don't understand."

"Well, that makes two of us!" She snapped but before either or Brandi could say anymore they're attention to drawn to the sounds of an argument.

"I'm going to personally make sure you get what's coming to you!" Seth exclaimed angrily at Raphael.

"And what about you?" Raph shot back. "You're the one that started all this!"

Seth grabbed hold of Raph's shirt collar and slammed him against the wall.

"Hey! You can't do that!" Jinx cried out. "Mary do something!"

There was a part of Mary that wanted to Seth to kick Raph's ass and for a few seconds she just stood there. The next thing she knew, Stan was moving past her and pulling Seth away from Raphael.

"You get out of here!" He ordered, shoving the older Marshal towards the door.

"Look, McQueen…"

"No! Out!" He demanded, looking at another marshal. "Get him outside right now!"

"You know I could press charge against you for that…" Raphael said, now leaning back against the wall.

Stan spun around and glared at him. "You're facing a murder charge…You're in enough trouble as it is, I would keep my mouth shut if I were you!"

"Murder?" Jinx gasped. "Oh no, you have it wrong!"

"Mr. Alpert?" Stan ignored her and looked to Peter. "There is a team arriving at your autoplex with a search warrant."

"But Peter hasn't done anything wrong!" Brandi exclaimed.

"We're conducting a search because both Christina and Raphael work there." Stan explained.

Peter looked to Brandi helplessly, not wanting to leave her but he needed to go down there and deal with it.

"You should probably go." Mary advised quietly.

Brandi wrapped her arms around herself and tried her hardest not to cry. "Yeah, we'll be fine here…Call me when you get done."

He hesitated but then nodded. "I'll be as quick as I can."

"Mary?" Raphael tried to walk over to her but a marshal stopped him.

"I don't really care about what you have to say." She told him and looked at Stan. "Do you need me here for this?"

"No..."

"I'm heading back to the hospital."

"Mary, you can't just leave….I need you." Raph claimed.

"We're over, Raph…Sort your own mess out."

"But I had no idea what Christina had planned!" He insisted.

"I don't really care if you did or didn't…Our relationship has no hope in hell of working." She claimed as she put her jacket back on and opened the door. "Oh and Stan?"

"Yeah…"

"If they want to transfer Marshall out of New Mexico, tell them he comes as part of a package deal." She claimed. "If he goes…I go too."

She left the house before anyone could say anything more but Stan wasn't surprised by her statement and he also didn't fail to notice that Mary claimed nothing had happened between Marshall and she was only because she didn't want to risk their friendship…

**TBC**

**Please review and let me know what you think! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Please keep them coming! **

**Enjoy! **

**Family Wars**

Stan slowed his pace when he spotted Seth sitting in the hospital corridor, opposite Marshall's private room. It had been a long day; first the raids on Mary's house and at Alpert's Autoplex and then interviewing Raphael, who insisted he had no idea what Christina had planned. Stan believed him and with no evidence to say otherwise they released him but not before he made the ex-ballplayer was aware that if he ever did anything to put any of his inspectors in danger, then he would have him to deal with.

He hadn't seen Seth at all since being at Mary's house where he warned him that he could stay on the case but wouldn't be allowed anywhere near the suspects. Seth had tried to protest but Stan wouldn't change his mind. There was no way he was going to risk the case just so Seth Mann could make himself feel better.

"I heard Marshall was awake." Stan greeted when he reached Seth.

The other man looked up, not having noticed him approaching. "Yeah, for short periods of times…He still a little out of it."

"Well, it's good that he's awake." Stan stuffed his hands into his pockets. "And the doctor did say it would take a little while for him to get back on his feet."

"I'll definitely breathe easier when he's out of here."

"I'm sure it won't take long…He'll bounce right back."

"I hope so…"

"Are you going in?" Stan nodded towards the door.

"Nah, I think I'll wait out here for a while longer." Seth answered and continued when Stan frowned a little. "Mary's is sat there…I wanted to give them some time."

"Ah…Well, I'm just going to check up on them, see if they need anything before I head back to the office." Stan told him then knocking on the door lightly before pushing it open.

He was relieved to see Marshall propped up against a pile of pillow and although he still was as white as a ghost and his eyes looked like they would close any second, he was happy to see he was awake. Mary was sat at his side and Stan noticed her pulling her hand away from his when he had entered the room.

"Hey, you're looking better than the last time I saw you." Stan commented, moving to the opposite side of the bed to Mary. "Not that much better but still, an improvement none the less…You scared us for a minute there."

"Sorry about that…" Marshall murmured quickly.

"You're forgiven as long as you keep on getting better." Stan patted his shoulder.

"Thanks, Stan…for everything." Marshall croaked out and Stan was surprised to see Mary immediately standing up to pour him some water before moving the cup to his lip.

"Remember the doctor said small sips." Mary advised, not letting go of the plastic cup even when he tried to hold it.

"I didn't do anything…" Stan said once Mary was back in her seat; deciding not to comment on what he just witnessed. "In fact, it was you who disarmed her."

"Yeah about that…Can we pretend that I jumped to my feet to protect myself not because I freaked out about throwing up in front of everyone?" Marshall questioned.

Stan chuckled. "I won't tell anyone if you don't."

"I think it might cost you some kind of pie to buy my silence." Mary quipped.

"I'll buy you all the pie in the store as long as you promise not to let your boyfriend set me up on a blind date again…"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about Raphael…"

"What?" Marshall looked at her.

"We'll talk later."

"So, do you remember much about what happened?" Stan questioned.

"Not a whole lot…I remember being at Mary's and feeling confused and that it felt like I was being choked." He told him and then looked at Mary. "Was my Mom here?"

She nodded. "Yeah, she arrived while you were still sleeping…I gave her my key to your house…I think all the worry and the travelling took its toll on her…She looked exhausted but I can call her if you want to see her…"

"No, I'm sure she'll be here tomorrow." Marshall settled his head back against the pillow.

"Your father is here." Stan supplied, ignore the glare that Mary sent his way. "He's sat outside…I could ask him to come in if you like?"

Marshall's eyes were closes and when he didn't reply after a few minutes, Stan began to wonder if he had fallen asleep but then the younger man spoke.

"Has he been sleeping with her?" He asked quietly, his eyes still closed.

Stan glanced at Mary in hesitation, unsure how to answer that. He knew who Marshall was talking about and he had meant it when he had told Seth he wasn't going to lie about Christina's motives but he didn't want to upset Marshall when he was so ill.

"Stan?" This time Marshall did open his eyes to look at his boss.

"Yeah…" He replied with a sigh. "They worked together on a case…"

"Then I don't want to see him." Marshall cut in. "He can go to hell for all I care…"

Mary retook his hand, squeezing it gently. "Don't worry about any of that or him at the moment…Just get some rest."

Stan had known that Marshall would react badly to the news about his father's affair and he couldn't blame him. What Seth did was wrong and even though he and his wife hadn't wanted their sons to get involved, they were going to get dragged into it now and they were going to be hurt by the news. Marshall never talked much about his relationship with his father but from the conversations he had had with both of them, Stan knew they struggled to find things in common and how to understand each other. This was going to make thing so much harder.

"Is there anything you need?" Stan asked, after a few minute.

"No, I think Mary took care of everything." Marshall told him.

"Okay, well I need to head back to the office to finish up some stuff but I'll stop by in the morning."

"Thanks, Stan."

"Call me if there is anything you need." He added. "Both of you."

"We'll see you tomorrow, Chief." Mary said softly.

He patted Marshall's shoulder once more before leaving the room. He saw Seth snapping out of his deep thought when he stepped back into the corridor.

"Seth, why don't I give you a ride?" He offered. "Mary said your wife has gone back to Marshall's house to get some rest…"

"I should be here." He shook his head. "Marshall might need someone later…"

"Mary is going to stay." Stan told him. "Come on, it's been a long day."

Seth looked at him for a second before speaking. "He knows?"

Stan sighed. "He must have remembered parts of what happened and was able to work it out…"

Seth covered his face with hands. "I should have told him myself…"

"What done is done." Stan replied. "You can't go back and change it but you can face whatever is to come."

"I should talk to him…" Seth stood up.

"Leave it for tonight." Stan advised.

"He's my son."

"Seth." Stan put a hand on his shoulder, blocking the other man from moving past him.

"What?" He asked. "Stan, what is it?"

"Like I said, it's been a long day for everyone…"

"He doesn't want to see me?" Seth guessed.

"I might be best if you wait until Marshall is a little stronger before you talk to him…"

"He told you he doesn't want me here?"

"Can you blame him?" Stan asked, a little frustrated… everything that had happened over the last couple of days were finally catching up with him and he didn't want to have to deal with the fight that was bound to happen if Seth stepped into Marshall's hospital room. "Look, just go home and get some rest yourself….I have a feeling you're going to need a lot of strength to get through the next couple of days."

Seth finally stepped back until his back hit the wall. "He's my boy, Stan."

"I know." He replied, his voice softening a little. "But you need to listen and trust me…You'll do no good going in there tonight."

It took a couple more minutes before Seth finally nodded in defeat.

"Come on, I'll give you a ride." Stan offered again and started to walk down the corridor towards the exit, leaving Seth to follow him.

_**XxXxX**_

The next day, Marshall spent most of the time either vomiting or sleeping. His mother had returned to the hospital and both she and Mary fussed over him which seemed to put him in an even worse mood. He just wanted to be left alone; after living by himself for so many years, he wasn't used to someone taking care of him.

He had fallen asleep again just after he managed to eat one slice of toast and when he woke up again, he saw it was already dark outside.

"Mom?" He said, causing her to look up from the book she had been reading.

"Hey, honey…" She stood up and moved closer to him, sitting of the edge of his bed. "Can I get you anything?"

He shook his head. "What time is it?"

"Just a little after 8…" She told him, pushing his hair back off his forehead.

"You should go home."

She smiled a little. "I will do soon but I'm going to wait for Mary to get back."

"Where did she go?"

"She went to get some clean clothes and some hot food." She informed him. "I'm glad because it gives me chance to talk to you."

"Talk to me about what?"

She reached down and took his hand in both of hers. "Tomorrow when I come back, I'm bringing your father with me."

"No."

"Marshall…"

"No, Mom." Marshall cut in. "I don't want to see him."

"Honey, he's your dad." She claimed. "He's worried about you."

"That makes a change." He muttered.

"Marshall." She gave him a look. "He's still your father."

Marshall sighed and removed his hand from hers to rub his eyes. "I don't want to see him or talk to him."

"Honey, I understand you're upset about what happened but he would have never put you in danger willingly." She told him. "The second he even thought you might be in trouble, he jumped on a plane."

"I don't care about that, Mom…I can look after of myself." He claimed. "How can you stand there and defend him after what he has done."

"Because he's my husband." She said simply.

"You deserve better."

"Okay, you need to listen to me…" She said firmly. "I understand this must be confusing for you and I know you're trying to protect me but I know your father…He's the love of my life and what he did hurt me but I will not walk away from my marriage…"

"But…"

"He is sorry, Marshall." She said softly. "He knows he messed up, he had his reason and I don't completely forgive just yet but I still love him and I believe he loves me…I'm willing to try to forgive and forget…You should to."

Marshall stared down at his hands not knowing what he say. He felt like a little boy who wasn't allowed to know anything important and kept getting told 'it's a grown up thing.'

He didn't understand any of it…He didn't understand how he father could do that to the woman he loved…He didn't understand how his mother could forgive him…He didn't understand how he was meant to be in the same reason as the man who hurt his mom.

Jenna reached over, placing her fingers under his chin to lift his face so he was looking at her. "You always were my sweet little boy…the one who was so sensitive and caring…"

"I get that you love him and want to forgive him, Mom…I can understand that." Marshall whispered, swallowing a lump that rose in his throat and blinked away the tears that started to burn his eyes. "But I don't think I can…Not after all these years of trying to live up to expectations…Of trying to prove to him I can just be as good of a man as he is…"

"Oh honey…." She moved her hand to cup his cheek, not able to stop her own tears.

"He gave lecture after lecture on doing the right thing and how trust is the most important thing…" Marshall continued. "I have no idea what I'm meant to say to him right now…How am I meant to believe a word he says?"

"He loves you, Marshall…" She insisted. "If you can't trust him enough to believe that, then trust me when I tell you it."

Marshall was silent as he thought about what she said. He could believe her when she said his Dad loved him but then he thought about James Shannon…He didn't doubt that the bank robber did love Mary with all his heart but it didn't stop him from leaving her and destroying her childhood, which affected the rest of his life.

"You were right, Mom…He is my dad and I know he loves me…" Marshall said and this time he looked right at her when he continued. "But I don't think that is enough anymore…"

"Marshall…"

"I don't want to see him…" He turned his side so he was facing away from her. "Not yet."

She didn't reply but stayed sat on the edge of the bed, watching him. It wasn't for another ten minutes that she got to her feet, realizing that he was done talking about it. She quietly moved around the bed and leaned down to kiss his forehead but he still kept his eyes closed.

Marshall waited until he heard her walk across the room and the door close behind her before he turned onto his back. He couldn't remember a time when he felt as sick or lost as he did right now. He placed his forearm across his eyes in an attempt to stop the tears but this time he couldn't hold them back. After everything that had happened and all he had found out, he was in more pain then he thought was possible and had no idea how to make it stop.

**TBC**

**So, this was a difficult chapter to write. Seth has played a role in a lot of my other fics and despite Marshall's and his difference, I've always written them having this connection and Seth still managing to be there for his son. Then again, it's nice to write some of Marshall with his mom…Don't think I've done that many scenes with Marshall and his mother before. **

**Anywho… review. Let me know what you think! **


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